skeptics and true believers
by McMuffin
Summary: In the beginning they were two people in love with other people. Now they are two people in love with each other. / Mark and Teddy, from start to finish. Mentions of Teddy/Owen, Mark/Addison, Mark/Lexie.


_I know I'm neglecting my other fanfics (badly!) but school is kicking my butt in every direction... but after last week's episode, how could I not write a Mark/Teddy fic? They are my new ship and I love them so much. Beta read by the lovely Clare, who loves this couple just as much as I do._

_I hope you enjoy this, everyone. (: btw; the history/backstory I gave Teddy? Made it up._

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* * *

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Teddy Altman doesn't sleep around. She doesn't date inappropriately flirty men. She doesn't like manwhores. She likes love. She likes romance. She likes cuddles. Her name's Teddy for God's sake!

She grew up with a great family, an amazing best friend, and of the boyfriends she had, they were always nice guys, except for her first boyfriend, James. After breaking up with him, she created a rule. One simple rule for relationships:

_No going anywhere near second base until you're friends first and you both love and trust each other completely._

And yes, she does use a baseball analogy, but she grew up with a baseball-obsessed father, so it's fitting.

Her mother and father brought her up to be patient, strong-willed, loyal, kind... They instilled these qualities from the very beginning of her life. All brilliant qualities, but when coupled with her wariness after her first boyfriend, it's not always the best combination for her love life.

She met James when she was nineteen, a freshman at Columbia University. She'd spent her high school years more interested in exploring science and all of its wonders, than exploring the bodies of her male classmates. She had been into baseball and comics rather than cheerleading and gossip magazines. She wasn't a tomboy or a nerd; she just wasn't into the mainstream 'girlie' things. When she met James during her advanced calculus class, he'd bumped into her and dropped his stack of Marvel comics at her feet. He'd seemed like a shy, awkward kind of guy, and she'd quickly become friends with him, and soon after, his girlfriend. She trusted him easily; he seemed to share all the same interests and treated her well. Until that one night where she got drunk at a party with him, and he ignored her pleas and took her virginity. She wasn't ready for that, and the harassment she received from him after subsequently dumping him was enough to put her off relationships for the next year. And it put her off of manwhores for life, as it turned out he was one.

Since then, she's stuck to her rule firmly. Almost too firmly.

Working at Columbia's Medical Center in 2001, she had a steady boyfriend, loving parents, and a best friend who she shared everything with. September eleven changed that. Almost as soon as she heard of her best friend's death, she was off enlisting. For vengeance? For justice? She's not entirely sure why she joined the army, it was simply right.

On tour in Baghdad in 2002, she had no boyfriend, parents who didn't support her decision to join, and no best friend. April first changed that. She met Owen Hunt, trauma surgeon, who pulled an April Fool on her with some fake spiders in her stew. Teddy hates spiders. She and Owen hit it off straight away, and became good friends, best friends even.

But with this friendship, Teddy found herself falling for him, and pining after him. She was tolerant, strong-willed. She was kind. She didn't try to break up his relationship with Beth; she simply stayed quiet and played the best friend role. All the while she dreamt up their picturesque romantic ending, how he would break up with his fiancée, how he would call her and tell her he was in love with her, how they would have their happy ending. It didn't happen. He came to Seattle and fell in love with Cristina.

Teddy is trying to move on, to get over the years of loving him, but it's hard. She has loved him forever. Even when she was in relationships of her own, she still loved him.

She is _in_ love with him.

So when Mark Sloan turns up, telling her that her breasts are fantastic, she's more than a little overwhelmed.

She hasn't been sexually active for almost a year. She hasn't been interested in any man other than Owen for almost a decade. She hasn't been interested in a manwhore for almost her entire adult life.

So why does McSteamy make her want to giggle and dance in the rain?

"What have we got, Sloan?" Teddy asks as she strides into OR four, answering Mark's 911 page. It's Monday morning and she hasn't seen him since their lunch date on Saturday, a date that went surprisingly well. He surprised her.

"The patient is adversely reacting to the anaesthesia. Her heart went tachycardic and she needs a valve repair."

"Okay." Teddy nods, quickly assessing the damage before glancing at the monitors. "Sca-"

Mark places a scalpel in her open palm before she can finish her word, and she smiles beneath her mask, before cutting into the patient's chest.

She doesn't notice Mark watching her face not her hands. She doesn't notice the smile lines around his eyes.

He doesn't notice the flips her stomach makes when his hand brushes against hers when she's finishing the procedure. _Obviously_.

"Nice work in there, Dr. Altman," Mark says as he, Teddy and a resident walk into the scrub room.

"Thank you, Dr. Sloan," Teddy says as she pulls her bird covered scrub cap off, and glancing at the birds she can't help but go rigid for a moment- she'll never get over her friend's death.

Mark frowns as he notices her tense up. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I, uh... Yeah. I'm fine." She probes him with her eyes, hoping he understands it's a sore topic.

Mark shuts up and waits for the resident to finish washing his hands before he steps in next to Teddy, invading her space.

"So, I didn't see you here yesterday..." he starts.

"Oh, I had the day off."

"Oh? And what did you get up to?" He's a little too close in her space than what makes her comfortable, but she can smell his scent- a mix of cologne, soap and something purely masculine- and she doesn't mind.

"Just some well needed R and R," she smiles at him a little and reaches for the soap dispenser.

He grins and reaches for the dispenser immediately after her, allowing their arms to touch.

"Well it looks like the rest helped a lot. You really were brilliant in there."

"Thank you," she says, fighting hard not to blush.

"Are you free for lunch today?"

"I am..."

"Good. Meet me out the front of the hospital at one."

And with that, Mark grabs a piece of paper towel, and exits the scrub room.

* * *

They've had five dates. Two lunch dates, two dinner dates, and one impromptu breakfast date when he came to her rescue and bought her French toast at a cafe after she found she'd left her wallet at home.

It's nearly date six, and Mark has invited her around to his place for dinner in at seven. It's currently six thirty, and Teddy is perched on a bar stool in Callie and Arizona's apartment. Callie, being her friend by proxy, is whining about how Arizona doesn't want children. Teddy is saying comforting things to her, while her mind wanders to her impending date.

It's not that she doesn't like Mark. She does. A lot. He buys her French toast and says that her breasts are fantastic, but she still loves Owen. She's loved Owen for so long, it's like she's forgotten how to love anyone else. She's working on it, and Mark knows that, which she appreciates. McSteamy knows she's not over Owen, and she knows he's not over Little Grey or that redhead with whom she vaguely knows he's had a complicated relationship. They're both in love with other people. But that's not the problem.

The problem is sex.

Teddy hasn't looked at any man but Owen and wanted to have sex with him in years. She hasn't been aware of any man wanting to have sex with her in years. Now she wants to sleep with Mark Sloan, and she knows he wants to sleep with her. They're up to their sixth date, it should happen pretty soon by her calculations, except that she has her rule.

And she's been working for the army and living in the desert for a long time. She's lost count of how long it's been since she was intimate with a man. She hopes she remembers how to be when she needs to be intimate. Because the problem is sex, and telling Mark of her rule. She doesn't want to tell him, it's awkward, and she doesn't like awkward.

"Teddy! It's seven! You need to go!" Callie exclaims, breaking out of her rambling-about-children mode.

"Oh, right. Right." Teddy nods and steps off of the stool.

"Now go, have a great date- and tell me if you two get up to any... Fun." Callie winks at Teddy before the blonde heads out of the apartment.

They're on the couch, Teddy leaning back into Mark's chest, his left arm resting against the back of the couch loosely to rest his hand on her hip. They're discussing their favourite holiday destinations, but Teddy's thoughts keep drifting from snow covered mountains to the hand that is lazily trailing along her side.

"What's on your mind Teddy?" Mark asks suddenly.

"N-nothing... Well, just those magnificent mountains you just mentioned." She tilts her head back and is surprised to find he has an eyebrow cocked.

"Well considering that I mentioned the mountains five minutes ago and have been talking about the Bahamas ever since... There's something on your mind." He cracks a bit of a grin. "Talk to me. What are you thinking about?"

She hesitates a moment before blurting it out. "Sex."

His eyebrows rise further. Half in disbelief that she's the kind of woman to openly blurt that out, and half in fear that she really only does want a sexual relationship, and this has all been for nothing. She sees this and is quick to continue talking.

"No! I mean, I've been living in the desert for years... It's kind of not the place where you can get easy access to birth control... So I haven't, um, I mean... It hasn't, I... I'm not ready for sex yet." She finishes with a sigh, and a lot of mental cursing. As a doctor and a soldier she's brilliant at being calm and composed in situations of high stress. As a woman in a new relationship? Kind of sucks at being calm and composed in situations of high stress.

Mark can see her eyes flitting around and he loosely tugs her back down to her chest with a smile.

"I'm okay with that."

"Really?"

"You sound surprised."

"Well, yeah! You do have a reputation, Mark."

He smirks at her. "And if I do recall, you were the one who asked me to go out to Joe's, because you only wanted sex."

"Well... Yeah, that's because Arizona told me you're good for no strings attached sex. Really good."

"You don't strike me as the type for no strings attached."

"I'm not." He squeezes her arm, and she continues. "I actually, um, have this rule that I don't sleep with a guy until I, well, love them... So... That's another reason I don't want to have sex with you yet."

Mark smiles at her. "That's a good rule."

"You think so? Owen told me it was stupid."

He nods. "I think so. Unless you're doing no strings attached, sex is messy. It leads to... complications if you're not ready for it. People can get hurt."

He exhales deeply after speaking, and she knows he's speaking from experience.

"You're a good guy, Mark. Just because you weren't always... Doesn't mean you aren't now."

He leans forward and kisses her softly, whispering thanks against her lips.

* * *

"Mark, I... I don't like water very much," Teddy speaks, barely above a whisper.

"We're not going in the water, we're going on a ferry," Mark states bluntly.

She places her hand over his on the joystick as he drives down towards the ferry loading bay.

"I _really_ don't like water."

"Oh..." He pulls over and parks the car, noticing the fear behind her calm face.

"I just, I've lived in the desert almost ten years, and I grew up with geeky parents... I don't like the water."

He smirks. "You love water- don't tell me you don't love a hot bubble bath or the rain... You just don't know how to swim."

She replies with a hesitant nod.

His smirk turns to a grin. "Well, I can promise you that you will not need to put those non-swimming skills to use today, and I will be with you, the whole trip."

She smiles, reassured, and leans over to kiss him softly. "I'm sorry if I flip out on you."

He laughs and starts the engine. "Babe, it's been four months, I'm used to your flip outs by now."

She slaps him on the arm. "Watch it, Sloan, I might just push you overboard, and I lack the skills to save you."

* * *

Mark walks into his apartment after work, drops his keys on the counter and immediately heads for his bedroom. Teddy has the day off, and he hasn't seen her since the previous morning, so he plans on showering and then calling her.

"Damn, I'm whipped," he mutters to himself as he walks into his bedroom.

"Whipped cream... Why didn't I think of that?" Teddy's voice rings out and his eyes nearly bulge out of his head as he sees his gorgeous girlfriend sprawled over the bed. _Naked_.

"My vibrator has had enough use," she says with a seductive smile.

His lips curl into a smirk and he steps closer to her, shaking his head and holding back a laugh. "I love you."

"I love you too," she barely gets out before he's on top of her, kissing her neck.

* * *

"Mark?" Teddy asks timidly.

"Yeah?" He frowns at her soft tone, tearing his eyes away from the Yankees match to see his girlfriend surprisingly red eyed.

"I, um..."

All he has to do is hold out his arms, and she falls into them, holding on tightly.

"What's wrong, Ted?"

She hiccups. "One of my friends... Elijah, he was killed on tour... Last week. I j-just heard the news."

"Oh, I am so, so sorry..." Mark rubs circles on her lower back, using every method he knows to calm her down.

She buries her face back in his t-shirt, trying not to sob too hard, but what she's about to say next might break his heart. And it's already breaking hers.

"The army now needs another doctor," she whispers.

He freezes.

"What does that mean?"

"It. It means I'm going to re-enlist."

* * *

Mark paces up and down the hallway, the other doctors know to give him a wide berth after he lashed out at a resident. He's waiting for Teddy's surgery to finish, very impatiently.

When she does finally emerge from the scrub room, he drags her into the nearest empty room- a supply closet.

"Ow, Mark! What the hell?" She rubs at her arm where he's left a handprint pulling her along.

"You can't re-enlist."

"Excuse me?"

"You can't fucking re-enlist," he hisses.

"You don't get to decide what I can and can't do!"

"I can't, but I should be able to for this. You can't re-enlist, I love you more than I've ever loved anyone else, and I get your patriotic and personal need to be in the army and save lives, but don't you see? You're here, saving my life, _every_ day. I... I can't live without you Teddy, I can't let you be in danger out there, and I need you, _here_. I..."

His eyes are misting over, and he's making hers do the same. She moves closer to him, kissing him tenderly. He pushes his lips against hers, fervently. Droplets slide down his cheeks, and she feels them on her fingers as she cups his face. His hands roam all over her back, needing to feel every inch of her, knowing within any number of days, she could be gone.

"I'll stay," she whispers when she comes up for air.

"Really?" He gasps, opening his eyes.

"Really. Mark... I love you. You're the love of my life."

"Marry me."

* * *

She's barely been seated for a second, before a strong hand is being held out to her, and is asking to dance. She smiles up at him and accepts, standing with a fistful of cream silk so as not to step on the ends of it.

"You look gorgeous, Teddy."

His voice is gruff, and she can only hope all is well in his relationship, now that hers has worked out so amazingly.

"Thank you," she says as she twirls under his arm.

"This is kind of surreal, isn't it?"

She grins at him. "Yeah..."

He twirls her again and she giggles before falling back into step with him.

"You know I used to think this would be us, except you'd be the groom, not a groomsman," she says nostalgically.

"Yeah... I did too."

Teddy's grin turns into a sad smile for just a moment, before she's grinning again.

"Now come on, show me those amazing dance moves you always boasted about in the desert, you're dancing with two left feet!"

Owen chuckles and bends the bride backwards so she can blow a kiss to her husband, who is getting her a drink.

Mark smiles at her, happier than he's ever been in his life.

* * *

"I want a puppy," Teddy says as she leans back into her husband's arms, soaking her feet in the sand.

"Mmm?" He hums, trailing his fingers over her tanned arm.

"Actually, three. I want three puppies."

"Huskies?"

"Yeah. Or Labradors."

He smiles and leans back into the soft grains, pulling her down with him, her head resting on his chest.

"And a nice house, not necessarily big, in a place with lots of trees. I love trees... But also lots of grass. Maybe on the outskirts of Seattle, near Derek's land, but perhaps closer to the ocean... Seeing as I can swim now."

Mark chuckles and closes his eyes, listening to her paint the perfect picture.

"I'd like two cats, because cats are so cute, and when they have kittens... I love kittens. And the cats would get along with the dogs, and of course the parrot. I've always wanted a pet parrot. And kids love the animals."

"How many kids do you want? And don't say eleven like last time." Mark smirks.

She starts swirling patterns on his chest with her index finger as she thinks.

"Three. But that's more likely to be one, considering my age..."

"Ted-"

"Don't. I'm being realistic, we're both doctors, we both know the facts... One kid, three dogs, fifty-seven cats, a parrot... Oh and a pet snake!"

"Hell no, our kid is not getting a pet snake."

"Don't tell me you're afraid of snakes, honey," Teddy grins.

"No! But, I had a pet snake when I was a kid, do you know how much crap I put all my friends through with it? Our kid is not getting a pet snake."

"Aw, fine. A spider?"

"A spider I can allow."

"How 'bout a dolphin?" she asks as she stands up in the sand.

"A dolphin? You can't get a pet dolphin!" he jumps up with her.

"Yes you could!" she exclaims as she runs towards the water.

"Dolphins don't live in Seattle, it's too cold!"

She laughs and tugs him into the warm water with her.

"Changed my mind. We're moving to Australia, we'll live right here, on this strip of beach."

Mark smirks. "And we'll make love in the water every night like we did on our honeymoon... Right _here_."

"Smooth..." she whispers as she presses her lips to his, giggling as a small wave crashed into her ankles. "Let's go out a bit deeper... Then no one can see what we're doing."

He grins when he realises she actually will have sex with him in the water. "I love you."

* * *

Teddy sighs and stretches her tired legs out on the couch, hoping for some relaxation when she realises she is home alone.

"Attack!"

Six year old Jackson screams as he jumps onto her calves.

"Oof..." she groans, and opens her eyes to an adorable face grinning at her.

"Mom, guess wha-"

"Attack two!"

His twin, Billie, jumps on their mother's feet with her blonde hair flying.

"Oww... Hey guys. Have fun at the park?"

"Yeah!" Both children exclaim in chorus.

"So guess what? Dad says we have to attack you until you give us ice-cream for dessert!" Jackson exclaims.

"Attaaack!" Billie pummels her small fists into Teddy's feet, massaging them more than anything else.

Mark walks through the glass backdoors of their two storey house in laughter.

"Monsters, I did not tell you to attack your mom for ice cream... But now that you mention it... Attack!"

He jumps towards his wife, who squeals and looks genuinely afraid, before smirking.

"Just kidding, honey."

He bends down to kiss her softly, their children wrinkling their noses in typical fashion.

"How was your surgery?" he asks.

"Successful," she smiles.

"Did you cut someone open?"

"Did you stab someone?"

"Did they bleed?"

"Was their heart going kaboom kaboom?"

"Was there-"

"Okay, guys, question time can come after bath time okay?" Mark says.

"Fine," both children sigh.

"Go upstairs, but do not be noisy because -"

"Race you!"

The twins are bolting up the stairs before he can finish, and he glances at Teddy while watching them run. Their kids get along so well, they can only hope it stays that way.

The noise that Mark warned against has woken the sleeping puppies, and very quickly he hears the howls of three labrador puppies, and the barks of the two adult labradors, all in the garage-turned-Labrador-house.

"Oh god," Teddy mutters as she hears the noise.

"I've got it. You stay here, relax, you look exhausted." Mark smiles.

"Thank you," she smiles, loving how thoughtful he is.

"Any time... Although I do expect repayment," he jokes with a wink.

She winks back at him.

* * *

In the beginning they were two people in love with other people. Now they are two people in love with each other.

* * *

_I would really, really love feedback on this. :)_


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